A stay in his 
aunt’s backroom in Mamelodi, Gauteng, gave entrepreneur Nick Chali an idea that could help township homeowners earn money from unused rooms.
For Chali, the backroom was more than a place to stay. It showed him that millions of South Africans live in modest spaces that mainstream accommodation platforms rarely recognise. He saw an opportunity to turn these overlooked spaces into income-generating assets.
“Townships are not just residential areas; they are entrepreneurial ecosystems held together by something money can’t quite buy - ubuntu. Airbnb and Booking.com were built for a different market,” said Chali.
This insight led to Backroom Bookings, a web-based accommodation platform connecting township property owners with guests looking for authentic, local South African short stays, from backrooms to guesthouses.
The idea started in late 2023 after 18 months of research and development, and another six months of testing before the platform reached its pilot stage. Backroom Bookings uses a commission model designed to put income directly into the hands of township homeowners; hosts do not pay upfront to list their properties.
Chali’s long-term vision is to list more than 500 townships and 12,500 properties. Currently, he is focused on a nine-month Gauteng pilot targeting 150 properties in Soweto, Thembisa and Mamelodi.
Success for Chali is measured by the lives behind the listings. He imagines a homeowner in Mamelodi earning R4 000 to R5 000 a month from a spare room to help pay school fees, or a Soweto property owner growing from one unit into a portfolio.
“Township stays are not a discount alternative to the suburbs, but our own premium category that is built on hospitality, ubuntu, and access to the 'local is lekker' culture,” he says.
Chali wants each space to offer hotel-room comfort while retaining its township character. Every listing will undergo quality checks before being made available.
Chali is speaking to funding institutions to support marketing and start-up costs. He also hopes to involve interior designers from the same communities to help hosts improve their spaces.
The platform is live at www.backroombookings.co.za, where property owners can register and access a host dashboard.
Chali said he plans to grow the business steadily with quality listings.
At this stage, no accommodation has been listed on the platform and there are no rooms available for booking. Chali is currently encouraging township property owners in Soweto, Thembisa and Mamelodi to register their rooms, backrooms, cottages and guest accommodation as part of the Gauteng pilot. He hopes to build a network of quality listings before welcoming guests onto the platform.
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